Chang-rae Lee
[isbn]
Don’t let the title fool you: My Year Abroad might summon up visions of a college student finding themselves while backpacking across Europe. Let that be Chang-rae Lee’s first gentle jab at the reader — this is not a conventional coming-of-age novel, and while its unassuming narrator may say otherwise, Tiller Bardmon is not your average 20-year-old. Quick-witted and perceptive but lacking in drive or direction, Tiller has been stumbling... (read more)
Recommended by Renee P.
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Sandra Boynton
[isbn]
If you have two thumbs and one is typically in your mouth, chances are you adore Sandra Boynton, and you’ll adore this book. With its ridiculous premise, funny illustrations, and engaging prompts, no beginning reader (or adult, for that matter) can resist its charms!
Recommended by Renee P.
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Barry Lopez
[isbn]
As someone who has broadened the notion of what it means to be both a world traveler and a profoundly curious writer, it’s no wonder that National Book Award–winning author Barry Lopez, now 74 years old and battling terminal cancer, has given us a work so expansive it can only be named Horizon. Lopez has visited more than 70 countries, and though his book is loosely divided into just six regions — from the Oregon Coast to the... (read more)
Recommended by Renee P.
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Lisa Brennan Jobs
[isbn]
You will be shocked by what you read about Steve Jobs in this beautifully rendered literary memoir by his daughter, Lisa Brennan-Jobs. You will be equally stunned by the author’s insight and honesty. I’m recommending Small Fry to everyone I know. Vivid, compelling, ambitious — it’s the full package.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Oliver Sacks
[isbn]
This collection is one of two books Sacks was working on when he passed away, and with probing essays on time, memory, creativity, and consciousness, it’s a fitting send-off. As usual, his inquiries reveal a dedication to intellectual rigor matched by an extraordinary generosity of spirit.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Sam Kean
[isbn]
Sam Kean is such an entertaining writer he can imbue a topic as mundane as air with page-turning drama, and with Caesar’s Last Breath he has done just that. Through a playful mix of stories and science, Kean expounds on the origins, human exploitation of, and changing composition of the air around us.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Pamela Paul and Maria Russo and Dan Yaccarino
[isbn]
As someone who works in a bookstore, I thought I knew everything possible about how to nurture the love of reading in a child. But this joyful guide, organized by age group and packed with practical advice, had a lot to teach me. Big bonus: the book recommendations are ample and spot-on.
Recommended by Renee P.
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David Shannon
[isbn]
What can’t you fix with a hammer? In David Shannon’s hilarious new picture book, Mr. Nogginbody discovers the many (mis)uses of a time-tested tool. Will he eventually come to his senses and learn to distinguish a flower from a nail? Maybe a whack on the head will do the trick.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Shinsuke Yoshitake
[isbn]
What makes life fun, and what makes it dreadfully boring? When the inquisitive main character in Japanese author/illustrator Shinsuke Yoshitake’s adorable picture book explores the subject of boredom with intense scrutiny, the result is anything but dull. With the help of bright, funny illustrations bound to put a smile on anyone’s face, The Boring Book demonstrates how a creative young mind can turn any topic — even a philosophical... (read more)
Recommended by Renee P.
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Molly Gloss
[isbn]
Set in the brutal Oregon high country in the 1890s, The Jump-Off Creek tells the story of the widow Lydia Sanderson and her struggles to settle in an unforgiving land. Gloss did her research, drawing on pioneer journals and hand-me-down stories, and she writes with a quiet restraint that respects the characters and their vast surroundings. Anyone interested in what life was actually like for Oregon's pioneers — the elaborate... (read more)
Recommended by Renee P.
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Karen Russell
[isbn]
Karen Russell has always had a knack for creating intricate, somewhat fantastic scenarios grounded by a seasoned respect for her characters and the worlds they occupy. Each story in her new collection showcases these talents spectacularly. Darkly funny and quietly moving, Orange World is as rewarding as it is fun to read.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Katherine Dunn
[isbn]
Written originally as a writing lecture and published posthumously, On Cussing (by the beloved author of Geek Love) may be short but it’s far from sweet. Packed with history and advice on how to wield your foulest language like a true swordsman, On Cussing is a spicy, seductive read.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Ottessa Moshfegh
[isbn]
Newly reissued for a wider audience, Ottessa Moshfegh's first literary outing ventures into the fractured psyche of a drunken sailor, McGlue, who stands accused of murdering his best friend. You'd never read about McGlue in any history book, but Moshfegh lends dignity to his sad story. A must-read for fans of the author and a strange, standout work in its own right.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Jesse Ball
[isbn]
Jesse Ball's latest book is like nothing you’ve ever read before. Set in an unnamed country composed of towns arranged from A to Z, the novel traces the path of its terminally ill narrator who, for his final act, is traveling as a census taker with his mentally disabled son. As he visits home after home, measuring lives while reexamining his own, it becomes impossible to ignore where this fateful journey is taking him. Both immersive and... (read more)
Recommended by Renee P.
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Michael Pollan
[isbn]
Michael Pollan’s earnest examination of modern eating habits made waves upon its release in 2006 and is largely responsible for pushing the local food movement into the mainstream. The Omnivore’s Dilemma uses the seemingly straightforward question of “What should we have for dinner?” as an impetus to explore how ridiculously complex our food system has become. What Pollan reveals through his adventures, as he explores three food chains... (read more)
Recommended by Renee P.
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Deb Perelman
[isbn]
Halloumi Roast, Zucchini-Stuffed Zucchini, Miso Maple Ribs, Sour Cream Coffee Cake... Deb Perelman’s recipes actually get me excited to use my kitchen, which is quite a feat. The dishes here are simple yet unique, with bright, fresh flavors. If you haven’t tried Smitten Kitchen yet, you’re missing out.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Bill Bryson
[isbn]
Before writing this book, Bill Bryson was definitely not a science buff. His interest was quashed by the dry textbooks of his youth. Thankfully, as an adult, his famous curiosity took over and he realized that science need not be boring or abstruse. A Short History of Nearly Everything, an insanely ambitious science book written for the layperson by a layperson, is the outcome of this realization, and it's immensely informative and as... (read more)
Recommended by Renee P.
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Joy Williams
[isbn]
A Pulitzer-nominated author revered among literary circles, Joy Williams is nonetheless often overlooked by readers. Her third story collection, Honored Guest, is a magnificent showcase of her trenchant wit and staggering imagination, tempered by her minimalist sensibility. While the stories pivot around heavy topics — particularly coming to terms with a real or metaphorical death — they're wildly entertaining and unpredictable. The... (read more)
Recommended by Renee P.
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Francine Prose
[isbn]
In this celebratory collection that will delight casual readers, bibliophiles, and everyone in between, Francine Prose shares 33 reasons to love literature through essays on such works as Great Expectations, Jennifer Egan’s Manhattan Beach, and the short fiction of the other Elizabeth Taylor.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Joan Didion
[isbn]
If everyone wrote journal entries as honestly and incisively as Joan Didion, what a fully drawn world it would be. South and West is comprised of two diary excerpts from the ’70s, yet its focus on tensions surrounding place feels so relevant today.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Viet Thanh Nguyen
[isbn]
I was taken aback by this near-perfect story collection. The opening piece, “Black-Eyed Women,” features a narrator haunted by the spirit of her dead brother who was killed as they escaped to America, and that sets the tone for the rest of the book — these are ghostly tales with characters who perceive the past more vividly than the present. And yet their stories, their journeys through time and place, deserve to be told. The Refugees is... (read more)
Recommended by Renee P.
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Lonely Planet
[isbn]
Need some inspiration for your next adventure? With its breathtaking photos and truly unique suggestions, Lonely Planet’s new guide may just motivate you to go on a cycle safari through Botswana, try sandboarding in Peru, or camp inside a glacier in Norway.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Jeannie Vanasco
[isbn]
Jeannie Vanasco grew up in the shadow of her dead half-sister, Jeanne. In her deftly written memoir, she examines how this experience, along with her father’s death and a difficult-to-diagnose mental illness, left her haunted and obsessed. You too will be transfixed by Vanasco’s strange, remarkable story.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Jeffrey Eugenides
[isbn]
Eugenides drew from his full, illustrious writing career to give us this collection of short fiction, featuring characters trying their best to cut a singular path in a messy, modern world. The outcomes are mixed, but each story is exquisite.
Recommended by Renee P.
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William Styron
[isbn]
In his slim but by no means slight memoir, William Styron stresses: “The disease of depression remains a great mystery.” What is striking about Darkness Visible is how clearly and eloquently Styron is able to describe such a perplexing disease. Likening the illness to “a veritable howling tempest in the brain,” he chronicles his descent into the abyss of depression with a nakedness that is hard to look away from. Anyone who has grappled... (read more)
Recommended by Renee P.
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George Orwell
[isbn]
Long before Animal Farm and 1984, George Orwell wrote about a time in his life when he was alternately barely scraping by and penniless. I have to admit, I wasn't expecting a book about poverty to be so enjoyable to read, but the author’s animated writing style had me racing through his (mostly true) memoir. From 1929 to 1931, Orwell ventured deep into the squalor of two very glamorous cities, revealing the appalling working... (read more)
Recommended by Renee P.
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Tracy K. Smith
[isbn]
In Ordinary Light, Tracy K. Smith (our country’s new Poet Laureate and the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Life on Mars) investigates her struggles with devotion — to family, to religion, to history — on her path to adulthood. The youngest of five siblings, Smith was a model child — sweet-tempered, ambitious in school, and eager to please her devoutly religious mother. But as she grew older, she found herself consumed by doubts... (read more)
Recommended by Renee P.
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Bruce Handy
[isbn]
While revisiting kids’ books can be a lot of fun, reading Bruce Handy’s colorful commentary on beloved children’s classics is even more delightful. His insights are paired with fascinating details about the authors, and while he isn’t afraid to criticize some favorites (The Giving Tree, for one), his passion and enthusiasm are infectious.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Carina Chocano
[isbn]
Part memoir, part cultural critique, You Play the Girl details the countless ways movies, TV shows, and books teach us what femininity should look like. Examining everything from The Philadelphia Story to Flashdance to Frozen, Chocano covers a lot of ground in an intimate, engaging way. A must-read.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Naomi Klein
[isbn]
If anyone can take on Trump, it's Naomi Klein — the author of such powerful tomes as The Shock Doctrine and This Changes Everything. Her new book, No Is Not Enough, outlines a plan of resistance that relies on strategy and reason — rather than panic and anger — to lead us forward despite the backward policies of the administration. To those searching for answers, for guidance, for hope in the age of Trump: this is the... (read more)
Recommended by Renee P.
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David Sedaris
[isbn]
Theft by Finding is charming, refreshingly unpretentious, and flat-out addictive. Sedaris said in the intro that he meant for readers to dip in and out of this collection of diary entries (the first of two volumes!), but I couldn’t put it down. His pared-down observations are equal parts dark and darkly comedic, concealing and revealing. Theft by Finding surpassed my very high expectations, and I'm already feeling impatient for... (read more)
Recommended by Renee P.
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Steven Pinker
[isbn]
Pinker's book is an absolute treat for lovers of language and anyone fascinated by the human mind. You'll come away with a much greater understanding of how words emerge and how language gets passed on, and altered, from generation to generation.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Mary Louise Parker
[isbn]
In this gutsy memoir, award-winning actress Mary-Louise Parker addresses all the men who have influenced her path in life. Parker is a talented writer, and Dear Mr. You is a strikingly intimate tribute to the resonance of human encounters, to personal and artistic development, to love and loss and perseverance.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Deborah Madison
[isbn]
It’s hard to believe it’s been 20 years since Deborah Madison’s game-changing Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone came out. Her new cookbook, In My Kitchen, embraces lighter, pared-down meatless recipes ingeniously packed with flavor. With lush photographs and vibrant descriptions, In My Kitchen beautifully showcases the allure, flair, and endless culinary possibilities of vegetables.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Rebecca Solnit
[isbn]
In her companion to Men Explain Things to Me, Solnit gives us another eloquent, penetrating book on feminism and patriarchy. Her short essays cover substantial territory, tracing gender boundaries to their origins, yet there is an optimism here that gives this book a propulsive energy. A must-read.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Monique W Morris
[isbn]
Pushout exposes the unique and daunting challenges black girls face in our schools. They’re singled out. They’re belittled. They’re hypersexualized. And they’re pushed into our juvenile justice system at an alarming rate. In her urgent, compassionate book, Morris shares their stories and compels readers to take action.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Keeanga Yamahtta Taylor
[isbn]
In her ambitious survey, Taylor traces the trajectory of the Black Lives Matter movement from its origins and more recent catalysts (extending far beyond police brutality), to the turbulent present day, to her vision for a future where black liberation is possible. This is essential reading for anyone who wants to take the long view on the movement.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Arlie Russell Hochschild
[isbn]
Over a period of five years, sociologist Arlie Hochschild traveled to Louisiana's Bayou Country to interview staunch Tea Party supporters, with the goal of trying to understand what led them to an ideological view so different from her own and seemingly at odds with their personal interests. Strangers in Their Own Land is the product of those trips. In this eloquent, heartfelt investigation, Hochschild focuses on a selection of... (read more)
Recommended by Renee P.
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National Geographic
[isbn]
This book is something special for any photography lover. It brings together National Geographic’s most charming, moving, and utterly astonishing Instagram photos into a compact little book. I’ve already found a permanent spot for it on my coffee table.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Steven Johnson
[isbn]
This thoughtful celebration of our most playful pursuits is fascinating — and a pleasure to read. Wonderland offers a persuasive argument that popular entertainment is responsible not just for momentary thrills, but for significant technological advancements.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Haruki Murakami, Alfred Birnbaum
[isbn]
When a powerful man tells you to find something or else, you do what he says. So when the nameless narrator of Murakami's game-changing third novel is tasked with tracking down a uniquely marked sheep pictured in a photo, he begrudgingly accedes. This absurd assignment becomes the catalyst for a surreal, fatalistic journey for the narrator, who, by his own admission, has nothing to lose. But much is at stake in A Wild Sheep... (read more)
Recommended by Renee P.
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Frans De Waal
[isbn]
Groundbreaking research is being done in the field of animal cognition, and Frans de Waal synthesizes it all in this eye-opening book. You will be amazed and humbled by the incredible minds of apes, crows, elephants, dolphins, and many other cunning creatures.
Recommended by Renee P.
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J.M. Coetzee
[isbn]
Set in a South Africa ravaged by civil war and oppressive military rule, Coetzee's extraordinary novel zeros in on one man: Michael K, a mildly disfigured "simpleton" who sets out on a mission to escape Cape Town and bring his ailing mother to the countryside of her childhood. But the journey, beset at every turn by roving soldiers and the threat of imprisonment, turns into a test of endurance and a dogged quest for freedom. Amid the rubble of... (read more)
Recommended by Renee P.
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Eileen Chang, Karen S. Kingsbury
[isbn]
The six stories in this dazzling introduction to Eileen Chang, one of China's most admired modern writers, will sweep you up with their wayward characters, shifting power dynamics, and lush sensory detail. Chang writes about romance and desire, about trickery and deceit, about exerting one's will despite painfully restrictive cultural pressures. Set in 1940s Hong Kong and Shanghai during a time of great change and upheaval, her stories will leave... (read more)
Recommended by Renee P.
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Evan Ratliff
[isbn]
If you like longform journalism, reading Love and Ruin is like devouring a box of the finest chocolates. The collection brings together 10 outstanding pieces from the award-winning digital publication The Atavist, from authors like Leslie Jamison, Vanessa Veselka, and James Verini.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Aziz Ansari and Eric Klinenberg
[isbn]
Aziz Ansari is always a lot of fun. Here he brings his lively sense of humor to a topic with which he's well-acquainted: dating. But this isn't just some comedian making jokes about his dating life. It's an in-depth look at the history of courtship and a thoughtful examination of the pitfalls, and peculiarities, of modern romance.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Lindy West
[isbn]
In a broadening field of smart, comedic feminist essayists, Lindy West stands out for her authenticity, her vulnerability, and the clarity of her arguments. West’s analyses of where women stand in American culture are whip smart, empowering, hilarious, and timely. Anyone who has ever felt fat, invisible, objectified, or stereotyped (so: everyone) should read this book.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Chris Santella
[isbn]
This book causes extreme wanderlust, in the best way. With gorgeous photos and ample insider tips, Fifty Places to Camp Before You Die will inspire even the staunchest nature hater to get outdoors and explore camping spots far and wide.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Sally Mann
[isbn]
This breathtaking memoir, marrying Sally Mann's powerful photography with a personal story so captivating that it rivals great works of fiction, reveals how one's art can become thoroughly intertwined with one's life. Read this book: it's a truly powerful work of art in its own right.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Mary Norris
[isbn]
This isn’t your stodgy English teacher’s grammar guide. Norris’s endearing and surprisingly entertaining memoir offers a candid look at the glorious subtleties of language — and the trials and tribulations of the copy department in one of our nation’s most revered literary institutions: The New Yorker.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Lauren Weedman
[isbn]
Actress-comedian Lauren Weedman may have stumbled a bit through life, but her collection of personal essays is full of wit and finesse. If you've ever found yourself laughing through tears, you'll feel right at home with Miss Fortune.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Oliver Sacks
[isbn]
An intimate firsthand account of a truly exceptional life, On the Move showcases Sacks's humanity and writing chops while tracing his path toward a game-changing career in neurology. This is the kind of book you'll remember, written by a person whose legacy will endure decades to come.
Recommended by Renee P.
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D J Waldie
[isbn]
While most memoirs explore the intricacies of the self, Holy Land indulges in a different kind of exploration — one specifically tied to place. D. J. Waldie grew up in the '50s in Lakewood, California — a sprawling planned community that signified the beginning of a new era in American living. Through prose as modest as the homes in the Lakewood housing development, we bear witness to the birth of a suburb and come to see that beyond its... (read more)
Recommended by Renee P.
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George Saunders
[isbn]
Clever, nuanced, and weird, Tenth of December is a short story collection that manages to venture into uncomfortable places in a very entertaining way. Saunders explores questions of morality and personal responsibility with a lightness of touch and an irresistible charm — while he may create narrators that seem shortsighted or foolish at times, he clearly has affection for all his characters. Standouts in the collection include "Victory... (read more)
Recommended by Renee P.
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Eggers, Dave
[isbn]
Anyone with even a passing interest in contemporary fiction should own this book. Featuring short stories from greats like George Saunders, Lydia Davis, David Foster Wallace, and Zadie Smith — along with other goodies from the renowned journal — this anthology is one to savor from cover to cover.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Rebecca Lee
[isbn]
Rebecca Lee confessed in an interview that she's a "glacially slow" writer, and it's no wonder. Her language is so exquisitely wrought, and her affection for her characters so strong, that each story feels like a masterpiece. Bobcat is cosmopolitan without being pretentious, graceful without being precious, and funny without being overly clever. If you're a reader who appreciates the lovingly crafted, you'll adore this collection.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Alan de Queiroz
[isbn]
Could a frog hitch a ride on some debris and float to another continent? Could a monkey cross the Atlantic unassisted? Biologist Alan de Queiroz presents a provocative investigation of the ways in which species may have dispersed throughout the world via seemingly impossible journeys, traveling not just by land but across vast bodies of water.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Lacy M. Johnson
[isbn]
In this exceptional literary memoir, Johnson paints a candid self-portrait of a life bearing the weight of a horrendous event — getting kidnapped, bound, and raped by an ex-boyfriend. This is a story that insists on being told, and it is conveyed with incredible grace.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Flannery O'Connor
[isbn]
Flannery O'Connor's first short story collection, written in 1955, will knock you off your feet. Ruthless, penetrating, and loaded with subtext, A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Other Stories was brave for its time and feels just as consequential today. Writing in the Southern Gothic tradition in a style wholly her own, O'Connor creates characters that are misguided, stunted curiosities, but she manages to capture what's human in even the... (read more)
Recommended by Renee P.
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Chinua Achebe
[isbn]
Before Things Fall Apart was published in 1958, few novels existed in English that depicted African life from the African perspective. And while the book has paved the way for countless authors since, Chinua Achebe's illuminating work remains a classic of modern African literature. Drawing on the history and customs passed down to him, Achebe tells the tale Okonkwo, a strong-willed member of a late-19th-century Nigerian village. As we... (read more)
Recommended by Renee P.
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Diane Ackerman
[isbn]
In her sweeping survey of the way humans have fundamentally altered the planet, Ackerman once again dazzles with her luminous prose and boundless curiosity. Far from a book weighed down by doom, The Human Age examines both our mistakes and our triumphs to demonstrate that, while we can't reverse course, we can forge a new path to sustainability.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Margaret Atwood
[isbn]
Peopled by the bewildered, the belittled, the aging, the tales in Stone Mattress follow characters deposited in modern society but haunted by a palpable, insistent past. Atwood is a legend with fiercely devoted fans, but her works are so witty and absorbing that, even if you've never picked up one of her books, you'll immediately feel at home.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Eleanor Catton
[isbn]
Set in 19th-century New Zealand amidst the frenzy of a gold rush, Catton's stunningly ambitious novel pays homage to Victorian masterpieces but is far from traditional. The characters and structure are ruled by the Zodiac, and as the chapters wane in size, powers shift and revelations multiply. A flawlessly executed literary achievement and winner of the 2013 Man Booker Prize.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Alice Munro
[isbn]
A much-awaited volume from the winner of the 2013 Nobel Prize in Literature, Family Furnishings draws on the past two decades of Munro's short fiction and features some of her most emotionally packed, subtly revealing stories. Take it all in and enjoy the intimate, memorable worlds this masterful author creates.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Richard Mcguire
[isbn]
In this magnificent expansion of a piece he did in 1989, McGuire fixes his lens on one patch of land spanning millions of years. Through vivid illustrations, we see life playing out — with appearances by dinosaurs, Native Americans, early settlers, modern families, futuristic creatures, and more — in a grand yet remarkably intimate display. The effect is astonishing and absolutely unforgettable.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Dorthe Nors
[isbn]
The first work to be translated into English by Danish author Dorthe Nors is a slim collection of brief, surprising stories exploring everything from a teenager losing her virginity to a retired husband's secret obsession with female murderers. These are slippery tales — just as you're starting to get a grasp on where they're headed, they shift, they swell. Norse's writing is wonderfully unrestrained yet manages to capture our innermost fears and... (read more)
Recommended by Renee P.
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Lydia Davis
[isbn]
Something interesting happens while reading Can't and Won't: you'll start to find meaning and nuance in even the most mundane of occurrences. That's the beauty of Davis's deceptively simple, frequently funny stories — they'll teach you to become more observant and to embrace our tendency as humans to overthink things. I guarantee you'll enjoy the experience.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Jon Ronson
[isbn]
Now more than ever, one moment of bad judgment — say, a poorly conceived tweet — can lead to an online feeding frenzy with life-changing ramifications. In this entertaining yet eye-opening book, Ronson details how we've entered a new age of public shaming and the effects on both the condemned and the condemners (us).
Recommended by Renee P.
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Eimear McBride
[isbn]
It's no surprise that this striking, emotionally charged novel won countless awards last year. Using fractured language betraying the narrator's mental state, McBride deftly relates the story of a girl growing up in a hostile home where everyone must grapple with a pervading cancer, both literally and metaphorically.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Eliot, George
[isbn]
Eliot is an author most people know from school or because they see her books on lists of "important literature." But reading Middlemarch, her extraordinary monument to early-19th-century provincial England, is far from a stodgy, academic experience. With a touch of satire and an incredible grasp on the intricacies of human nature, Eliot illustrates the patterns — and peculiarities — of the people inhabiting her fictional town of... (read more)
Recommended by Renee P.
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Davis, Lydia
[isbn]
It can be hard to pinpoint what makes Lydia Davis's writing so magnetic. Her precise, no-nonsense language combined with her liberal definition of the short story? Her attention to the overlooked, the mundane, the clutter in our lives that holds so much meaning? Her understated sense of humor, so deeply ingrained in her observations about the absurdities of life? Whatever it is, you'll find it in spades in her Collected Stories, which... (read more)
Recommended by Renee P.
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Toni Morrison
[isbn]
If the only book you've read by Toni Morrison is her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Beloved, you're missing out. Known for her powerfully evocative prose, her grand mystical tales steeped in black history, her haunting (and haunted) characters, Morrison is an author whose body of work demands attention. Her third novel, Song of Solomon — Barack Obama's self-proclaimed favorite book — is a magnificent, epic story following Macon... (read more)
Recommended by Renee P.
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Amelia Gray
[isbn]
Threats presents a world thrown off-kilter by a mysterious death. David, the bewildered widower, struggles to uncover the source of his wife's undoing while simultaneously shielding himself from the truth. In a book filled with decay and self-destruction, Amelia Gray manages to make the grotesque endearing. Threats is sad, surreal, and strangely beautiful.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Woolf, Virginia
[isbn]
Reading Virginia Woolf is like stepping out onto a veranda, where the entire world unfurls before you in dazzling detail. Her unparalleled ability to paint a scene so exquisitely, and to inhabit her characters with such clarity and intensity, makes for an experience that is both awe-inspiring and deeply moving. To the Lighthouse, set in a weathered vacation home on the edge of a Scottish isle, depicts lives shaped by the temperament of... (read more)
Recommended by Renee P.
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Sheri Fink
[isbn]
When Katrina devastated New Orleans, what exactly took place at the hospital where conditions went from terrible to unspeakable over the course of five days? In this extraordinary chronicle, Pulitzer Prize–winning reporter Sheri Fink takes on an extremely difficult subject matter admirably, offering a book that is as piercing as it is provocative.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Matthew Battles
[isbn]
If you love the written word, then you'll love its rich history. Palimpsest traces the advancement of writing from Mesopotamia all the way up to the digital age, offering much more than a dry account: we learn as much about the cultural implications as we do about the changes in format and medium. Battles is a lovely writer, and Palimpsest is as entertaining as it is informative.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Ansari, Aziz and Klinenberg, Eric
[isbn]
Comedian Aziz Ansari is always a lot of fun. Here he brings his lively sense of humor to a topic with which he's well-acquainted: dating. But this isn't just some funny guy making jokes about his dating life. It's an in-depth look at the history of dating and a thoughtful examination of the pitfalls, and peculiarities, of modern romance.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Marina Keegan, Anne Fadiman
[isbn]
In 2012, Marina Keegan wrote a commencement essay for her college newspaper called "The Opposite of Loneliness." A few days after graduating magna cum laude from Yale, she died in a car accident. This deeply moving posthumous collection contains that hopeful essay along with a mix of other writings from a talent whose work continues to inspire.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Marc Reisner
[isbn]
Almost 30 years since its original publication, this absorbing, no-holds-barred condemnation of water policy in the American West remains an essential book for understanding our current water crisis, with California grappling with the most severe drought in recent history and the threat of global water shortages growing ever more real. Reisner reveals how the West's transformation from a barren landscape to a lush paradise is the result of... (read more)
Recommended by Renee P.
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Tom Cooper
[isbn]
The Louisiana bayou — devastated first by Katrina, then by the BP oil spill — forms the setting for this lively debut novel featuring a one-armed, substance-using (and abusing), treasure-hunting ex-shrimper along with a slew of oddball supporting characters. A funny yet provocative thriller underscoring the desperation and determination of those living in this hard-hit region.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Harris, Dan
[isbn]
Entertaining and deeply personal yet packed with information about the human brain, 10% Happier is a book about meditation for the unconvinced. If you're prone to anxiety or compulsive thoughts (who isn't?), do yourself a favor and pick this up.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Wilson, Edward O.
[isbn]
Through a brilliant melding of science and philosophy, "The father of sociobiology" boldly tackles humanity's biggest questions — namely, what is our role on earth, and how can we continue to evolve as a species? Wilson's writing style is accessible as always, and his passion and empathy continue to push us toward greater levels of enlightenment.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Hilary Mantel
[isbn]
In first-rate style, replete with her wicked humor and merciless eye, Mantel cuts to the quick in this dazzling and diverse collection of stories. Ranging from sinister to unsettling, these sharply drawn and thrillingly unpredictable stories further demonstrate the insightful intelligence and dark brilliance of this gifted author.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Daniel J Levitin
[isbn]
It's easy to get overwhelmed by the deluge of information we encounter from minute to minute — the human brain just isn't wired to process it all. But there's hope. Levitin helps us understand how best to interact with our environment to maximize efficiency... and minimize the chaos!
Recommended by Renee P.
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Juan Gabriel Vasquez
[isbn]
Set in the aftermath of Colombia's horrific drug wars, Vásquez's elegant novel provides an intimate look at a generation still coming to terms with the crimes of a not-so-distant past. Written from the perspective of a law professor who unknowingly befriends a drug mule, The Sound of Things Falling offers a wholly original story told with an intensity that reverberates.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Lydia Davis
[isbn]
In all of her collections, Davis's taut, straightforward prose has a tendency to hit you with a thud. But the impact is lasting. Stories that at first seem surface-level — sometimes overly logical, other times coy — gradually reveal themselves to be much more. In Varieties of Disturbance, her fourth collection, Davis ventures into even more experimental territory, with exquisite results.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
[isbn]
Epic in scope and astutely narrated, Adichie's unabashedly frank novel follows Ifemelu as she moves from Nigeria to the U.S. and then back again. This is a book about race, about loneliness, about a love that straddles continents. And it's an absolute treat to read.
Recommended by Renee P.
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John Bradshaw
[isbn]
Do cats only purr when they're happy? Can they develop special languages with their owners? Is getting them a companion a bad idea? This fascinating book uses behavioral science, genetics, and archeological findings to explore these questions and more.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Olivier Le Carrer
[isbn]
Adventurous souls would be wise to steer clear of such treacherous lands as Jharia, India (where an underground inferno swallows up victims); Australia's Cape York (land of the killer crocodiles); or, closer to home, the "Nevada Triangle" (where some 2,000 aircraft have gone missing). But they'll be glued to the pages of Le Carrer's creepy travel guide.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Brandon Stanton
[isbn]
Even if you're not familiar with Humans of New York, you'll immediately find yourself engrossed in this follow-up collection. The photos and accompanying stories (some as short as one sentence) are candid and continually surprising: each page will make you feel something different, and the overall effect is incredibly powerful.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Claire Vaye Watkins
[isbn]
Watkins received much attention (and several awards) for her debut story collection, Battleborn. Her first novel is just as dazzling. Set in a vividly rendered near-future West turned dry as bones, Gold Fame Citrus follows the journey of an ex-model, an ex-soldier, and a toddler they've rescued. This eerie, hypnotic tale of survival is a must-read from a rising talent.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Lena Dunham
[isbn]
Lena Dunham has no filter, and it's hard not to love her for it. Here we get an entire book of her charming blend of unapologetic strangeness and deadpan humor. Fans will find out just how much of her past work is autobiographical, and if you're not a fan, Dunham may just win you over with this book.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Randall Munroe
[isbn]
Ever wonder how a "food-heating radio box" (i.e., microwave) works? How about those "big flat rocks we live on" (tectonic plates)? Using only the thousand most common words in the English language plus line drawings, Munroe cleverly breaks down complex concepts into simple ideas in this funny and fascinating book.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Lorrie Moore and Heidi Pitlor
[isbn]
If anyone can do justice to 100 years of "the best" American short fiction, it's short story master Lorrie Moore. Thoughtfully edited and handsomely bound, this powerful anthology stitches together a century of vibrant literature through a patchwork of truly remarkable stories, including many lesser-known works that shouldn't be missed.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Nirmala Nataraj
[isbn]
From a deep-space galactic collision, to the famous "Eye of God" nebula, to surprising views of Earth from space, these incredible NASA photos not only offer staggeringly beautiful glimpses of the cosmos; they also captivate the imagination and reveal our place in this vast, intricate universe
Recommended by Renee P.
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DeWitt, Patrick
[isbn]
The delightful and cunning author of The Sisters Brothers returns with another enigmatic, off-kilter tale. Set in a vaguely fairy tale-like land, Undermajordomo Minor traces the wayward path of the young Lucien, who is to begin a new post at the castle of a mysterious baron. Darkly funny and deftly crafted, deWitt's new novel is smart, seductive, and a lot of fun.
Recommended by Renee P.
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bell hooks
[isbn]
We're taught to think of love as something that happens to us. It's a magical but altogether passive experience. In her deeply personal and emphatic All about Love, renowned social activist and feminist bell hooks asserts that, in fact, love is a choice we must all make and it's not nearly as abstract or elusive as many of us have come to believe. The book not only explores the role of love in our lives and the ways our culture has... (read more)
Recommended by Renee P.
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